A New Journey
by PauStrange
Summary: Shizuru Fujino is tired of high status and her pretentious mother. Trying to live her own life, she starts a new life in Alasville, a small town with a 5000 population. However, she will have an unexpected encounter.
1. Alasville

I

Shizuru let herself fall backwards into the bed with a sigh. She closed her eyes shut and breathed deeply with relief. What she really wanted now was finally going to happen: leave her hometown. Leave the life she had now, just leave everything behind and go to an unknown place, somewhere she could be herself, and not having to pretend what she was not. A smile appeared across her face. A small town will do… something in the country would be nice, somewhere she could see the sky being blue and not gray, somewhere with a hot weather, where sunlight heated her skin and she did not have to wear other clothes than jeans and a shirt; she had always lived in the large town of Kizawa, filled with cars, noise, people and smog. Shizuru had just graduated from college and wanted to try something different, be someone else, and have another life, not the one her family had created around her. She wanted a life that she created for herself, a true one and not the fake she lived everyday.

The girl stood up from bed and started to get herself into night clothes, while remembering how much it took her to convince her father that it was the best for her to leave and try living on her own.

"I really need to get a life of my own, and I don't want to get a job and money just because of my last name, you know, I am very proud of being a Fujino, but when I get older I want to know that what I have then is because of hard work and not because my father gave it to me. Plus I have been here all my life, I just want to know something else, I need it." She said seriously to her father earlier that day.

The old man laid back on his sofa and looked at the ceiling. _God, she is so much like her mother. She argues the same way she did when younger. But maybe she is not as nuts as Rika is now._

"Dad, are you listening to me?" Shizuru said in an angry tone while crossing her arms.

"Trust me, I would have to listen to you even if I didn't want to." His father answered in a tired tone. He started rubbing his eyes in a very tired fashion. He felt exhausted, and Shizuru wasn't going to give him a break. She was decided to leave, though she wanted to get his permission before doing it. She loved her father, despite having to pretend she was just a rich girl who cared about social status and marrying a rich man, and so she wanted to leave in good terms.

"How are you going to maintain yourself? You are too young and…"

"And I have just graduated from Kizawa's College with the best grades of my class." Shizuru glared at his father. "I am a great architect here and anywhere I go I will still be."

Hanzo Fujino looked outside of the window of his large apartment in the heart of a huge city. He noticed the cars, the noise and rivers of people flowing in the streets, and compared Kizawa with the small town where he was raised. He remembered the temple of his family and the lake where he and his brothers and sisters went to swim on sundays. It was a very large broad between the two places, and he know he would have hated to be raised in such a city, but he had no choice when he got a job that could get him enough money to maintain his wife and, in that time, very little daughter. Eventually, he started climbing positions in the technology business and earned enough money to get a company of his own. He was a rich man now. All because he had worked very hard, and he was a bright man. Hanzo knew Shizuru wanted to get that feeling of pride when old, a feeling she wouldn't be able to get if she stayed with him.

"Shizuru, I know what you mean. I am sure you will get anything you want, anywhere you go. You can leave, and you can be sure you have my support."

His daughter stared at him and smiled. "I'm leaving next Saturday morning, so I still have a week to get everything ready."

"WHAT? You bought tickets and didn't even have permission from me?"

"I knew you would say yes at the end, so…" Shizuru said, still smiling.

"And can I get to know where my daughter is leaving to?" he asked.

"Alasville. It is a small town with hot weather. 5000 population. It is supposed to be some kind of old style city, on the country side." Shizuru said with sparks in her eyes. "And it's sunny and hot all the time." She completed.

"You are going to kill me one day, I swear, Shizuru." He said while serving tea for both of them.

"I'm sorry… but I can't stay to have tea, I really have to get going with some stuff before leaving." Shizuru said in an apologizing tone.

"My daughter doesn't have time for tea? Who are you? Where is Shizuru?" the old man said with a fake concerned tone. "I though you were addicted to tea." he ended.

"I… actually am stopping myself from throwing it inside my mouth and run, but I guess it is boiling… so… I have to go!" She ended and left running from her compulsive tea addiction.

"Really, this girl…" Hanzo said and started to massage his forehead.

Next days flowed like water for the Fujino family. Shizuru got to argue with her mother, who as expected, went nuts.

"ALASVILLE? WHERE THE HELL IN THE WORLD IS THAT PLACED? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LEAVE KIZAWA? THE FUJINO FAMILY HAVE BEEN EXPECTING FOR YOU TO WORK WITH US! IT IS THE FAMILY BUSINESS!" Rika Fujino screamed and screamed so much that Shizuru felt in the middle of a hurricane, but she was used to her mother rage attacks.

"Mom, I'm sorry but I think I'm old enough to take my own decisions." Shizuru said with a firm voice. "I hope you come to the train station on Saturday morning to say goodbye to me." She turned around and leaved her mother's office in the Fujino Corp. building.

"BITCH!" her mother screamed from her office door, making everyone on that plant flinch, except Shizuru, who knew she would do that. She called for the elevator and got inside it.

"DON'T YOU DARE TO LEAVE, SHIZURU FUJINO!" Rika said and pointed her finger out to Shizuru.

"I'm sorry!" she said and left in the elevator.

Saturday morning finally came, and Shizuru woke up really early in the morning. She had everything prepared and took her luggage to the living room. Her stuff had been sent to Alasville and was supposed to arrive with her. She still had a moment before having to get to the train station so she decided to take a cup of tea on the terrace. It was her favorite part of the luxurious penthousr her family owned. She could see the whole town from there and it was truly an impressing sight. It was around 6 am and the sun was coming up. Everything still had the freshness of night and she really enjoyed to just sit there and watch the sunrise. _I will come back… eventually. At least for holidays. I just need to try something different._

The time passed and Shizuru was joined by her father. Hanzo entered the terrace and sat beside her. "I will take you to the train station, Shizuru." He said as sweet as he could, despite he felt incredibly depressed.

"I'm sorry about leaving… but I really feel I have to do so." She said to her father. The old man stared at the sunrise and sipped his tea.

"Your mother and I will miss you very much." Hanzo said. Shizuru felt guilty for leaving them, but then remembered the drama her mother put up on her office.

"My mother… she went crazy when I told her." Shizuru closed her eyes and sighed.

"Your mother is an unstable woman. You should know this by now. She can't express her feelings in other way than going nuts." Hanzo said this in a matter-of-fact tone. Shizuru just let a small laugh out.

"Do you think she will go to the train station?" she asked to her father.

"Maybe." He simply answered. She sighed again.

"Just let's get going. It's getting late." Shizuru said while looking at her watch.

Soon, they arrived to the train station. They got the luggage in and Shizuru and Hanzo waited for Rika to arrive. Shizuru looked around, and wasn't surprised when she didn't find her _charming_ mother.

"She is not coming." She said to her father. His father was about to hug her to say goodbye, but his phone rang. He raised his finger and smiled. He looked at the phone and said "Don't be so sure, darling."

"Hello, sweetie. We are waiting for you at the train station. Your daughter wants to say goodbye to you before leaving. Please hurry. Yes, we are waiting for you still. No, dear, she won't leave before you come, but please, PLEASE, hurry up. Bye."

"But, what if she takes too long and the train leaves without me?" Shizuru said, concerned.

"Don't worry, she will be here." The old man said. "And we still have half hour!"

Despite the clock ticking behind her, Rika Fujino did arrive. She greeted both of them with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Ahh, Shizuru. You had to be as eccentric as your father. Leaving to an unknown village, full of dirt, just from a day to another? And why to travel by train? At least you should have gone by plane!" her mother said.

"Mother, there is no airport in Alasville. And I like trains. We barely ever got on one. I don't like airports. Trains are calm, spacious, and you can just walk around if you want to." She answered.

"Honestly. Why. Why would you leave the bright future ahead in Fujino Corporation, living in a huge city, to go to Melville or whatever it is called that damn place in the middle of nowhere, where you know anyone, or anyone knows you." Rika said while grabbing her daughter hands.

"I don't want to have a bright future because my last name is Fujino." She said.

"So, you don't want to be a Fujino anymore?" Rika snorted.

"Don't put words in my mouth, mother. I want to have a bright future because of my own hard work" she simply answered. Rika was trying to get her nuts, and she was not going to get it. "And anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye to you, and tell you both of you that I am prepared to live on my own, even if I'll miss you and dad." She said in a concluding tone.

"Of course, but before that, there is something else to be said, Shizuru." His father said.

"What is it?" Shizuru and Rika asked.

"Where are you living? You never asked for money and it worries your mother and I what you will do when you arrive. And where you sent all your stuff?" Hanzo asked, deeply concerned. Shizuru smiled to herself.

"Actually, I bought a small and very old flat. It will need a lot of reparations and remodeling, but am I not an architect?" she said in a delicately fierce tone, like defying someone to say different.

"And where did you get enough money to buy a flat?" Rika asked, very interested in the answer.

"I did the plans of a restaurant at college that a friend of mine asked for me. They weren't easy to do, and I always had to change stuff here and there for this friend. So, I earned enough money to get myself a home and still have some money to keep myself for around a month unti I get a job." She answered, and looked evidently proud of herself.

"I can't believe this, you hadn't finished college and you were already making money." Hanzo laughed and hugged her daughter.

"We are very proud of you Shizuru, but it is such a disappointment for the Fujino Corp. to lose such a brilliant mind." Rika said. _God, she is always speaking as a business woman. Very proud, yeah, right, you weren't proud when you saw me kissing a girl! She went nuts that time. Again._

Shizuru hugged and kissed both of her parents, and was ready to get on the train.

Shizuru woke from a one hour nap. She was really tired and couldn't help but to fall asleep during the journey to Alasville. The young woman turned her head to appreciate a clear sky, and stared at it for a moment. She couldn't remember when was the last time she saw such a beautiful sight, with a wide, green field, and large trees. She hoped Alasville was as beautiful as that sight, and went back to sleep.

The train finally arrived to the old and dusty station. Shizuru carried down her suitcase and was welcomed with the brightness of the sun and dry heat over her skin. She looked around to find a cab to take her to the flat but only found an old truck, that seemed to have been red once, and, for her surprise, a motorbike she believed to be a Ducati. _What the hell, a Ducati in this small village?_, Shizuru thought for herself, while walking towards it. _I guess the owner should be somewhere near this, maybe I can ask where I can get a cab, as nobody else seems to be around._

As she got right in front of the old fashioned Ducati, she turned around and crashed into someone, dropped her luggage and hit the ground.

"Sorry" a low, raucous voice whispered and a hand was extended in front of her. She looked up and saw a green eyed girl, with dark, straight hair, wearing a cowboy style hat, a very worn out pair of jeans, and a red & black plaid shirt. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbow, letting Shizuru see her toasted skin. _Hmmm, a sexy tomboy, lucky of me!_

Shizuru grabbed the firm hand and was easily raised up.

"Thanks" she said and smiled at the green eyed girl, who just shrugged her shoulders.

"You aren't from around, right?" the cowgirl said in a rough tone, looking at Shizuru's suitcase.

"Ara, so observer. Yes, I've just arrived from Kizawa city. Do you know where I can get a cab?"

The girl just laughed about the innocent question of the newly arrived girl.

"You really have never been in Alas before, huh? How many cars do you see from here?"

"Not many, actually." Shizuru said and frowned.

"Where are you heading to?"

She read the direction on her cell phone. She didn't have any signal, by the way.

"Is it the old falling flat?" asked the green eyed girl, frowning.

"yes, exactly! how do you know it?" answered Shizuru, quite surprised to see the tomboy actually knew where she was exactly going.

"It's not exactly a big city, miss." said and smirked. "I can give you a ride there, if you wish." the girl offered.

Shizuru, as any city person, doubted for a moment.

"IS that really okay for you? Or are you just being... _friendly?"_ said Shizuru while giving a flirty look to the black haired girl, whom looked away and started coughing.

"It's ok. I feel guilty for pushing you, it's the least I could do."

"ok then, but.." Shizuru raised her small suitcase._What will I do with my suitcase?. _

"Ahh, dont worry about that. I can get it back to your place later, if it's okay for you. There is a friend here that can watch over it meanwhile."

Shizuru was taken by surprise. _She is very kind, really..._

"Really, is that fine for you? Am I not taking advantage of you?" she asked in a worried tone.

"It's fine, for me. You are not afraid of riding on a bike, are you?" the villager asked with a smirk on her face. She was teasing Shizuru.

Shizuru smiled and got a strange feeling of joy. _Hell yeah! I'm riding on a Ducati with a hot cowgirl._

"Ara, are you calling me a coward? I will be fine, all I have to do is hold on tight to you, isn't it?" Shizuru teased back, making the girl blush.

"Uhmm, Ok. I'm Kuga Natsuki, by the way."

"I'm Fujino Shizuru. Very glad to meet you, Natsuki."


	2. Light Bulbs

Second chapter finished! This is my very first FanFiction, so I hope you let me know what you think about the second part of it! :D

II

The small village was covered in dust, and almost every building was constructed with wood, in a very out-of-time manner. Shizuru could clearly imagine horses tied up on the front of the antique constructions. The sun was shining bright but however, the wind was fresh; Shizuru could feel the sunlight burning her face, the wind played beneath her skirt and Natsuki grabbed her straw hat for it not to fall away.

The two girls looked at each other after having formally presented. However, the tsundere girl wasn't the kind of girl that would usually stare at a person she just met, so she felt like she had to break the moment.  
>"I-I… I'm hungry… I mean, are you hungry?" Natsuki said, looking aside.<br>"Now that you said so… yes, I'm a bit hungry. I was so stressed before coming that I barely had any breakfast."

_Stressed? Why would she be stressed? Uh, stop, this is none of your business. _Natsuki thought.

"Ah, I see… Then we are in the perfect place!" she turned around and pointed to the rusty building behind her. A large board read "LA CANTINA" with old western capital letters.

"They serve the best food ever! Actually I was going there before we crashed… we could eat there if you want to." Natsuki said, quite enthusiastically. Shizuru smiled at such invitation. _Despite her though attitude, she is like a little girl… _

"It sounds great. I would love to keep you company on this bar." Answered the city girl to her official tour guide.

"Bar?" Natsuki snorted. "This is a real western saloon, miss! Bars are for fancy buddies." she said, joking.

"Oh, of course, sorry to insult the dignity of your saloon with my fancy-ness." Shizuru joked back, and they both laughed.

"'Kay then, let's go… lem'me help ya." Natsuki said while grabbing Shizuru's suitcase.  
>"Ara, such a strong girl! Thank you, Natsuki." Shizuru said.<br>"No prob, ma'am." said Natsuki, grabbing the front of her cowboy hat and nodding at Shizuru.

Natsuki opened the cowboy style door, making a squeaky noise. It was a small place, with rustic tables and various old pictures hanging from the walls. A vertical piano stood at the side of the saloon, thought no one was playing it now. There was about a dozen people inside. All the conversations stopped, the only sound now was Natsuki's boots stepping on the old wooden floor. Every head turned around to look at Shizuru. She felt weird, observed and it was as if she just gone back in time, with all the people wearing dusty cloaks, bandanas, straw hats, boots, vintage vests and trousers, large dresses, blouses. She could even listen to the metallic sounds of spurs and buckles moving, and must of the people turned their heads back to their own business, though a few of them still stared at Shizuru. There were walking towards the bar on the back of the local, with various alcohol bottles arranged on shelves behind it. At the left, there was the kitchen door, with a round window on it. On the ceiling, oil lanterns hanged. The light was quite dim, but gave a beautiful, special aura to the place. A small girl's head appeared from the kitchen door's window. The girl jumped quite excited and turned back in, Shizuru and Natsuki could only listen at her loud voice.  
>"MAI! Mai, Natsuki is here! And… Mai, who is that?" asked the little girl.<p>

"Mikoto, do you have to be so loud? It's as if we haven't seen in ages…" said Natsuki. The kitchen door opened again and a tall, ginger girl appeared. She was wearing an apron and carried a handkerchief.  
>"Natsuki, you are late! I thought you'd never…" Mai stopped in the middle of the sentence. She looked blankly at Shizuru and then reacted. "Well, hello there! Natsuki, won't you present us with your friend, don't you have any manners?" said the red-haired girl, and both of them looked quite curiously at Shizuru.<br>"Oh… yeah, sorry. Mai, Mikoto, this gal here is Shizuru. She just arrived town…"  
>"Hello, I am Mai Tokiha and this little here is Mikoto Minagi," said Mai while giving a scoldy look at Natsuki. Natsuki wasn't one with the best manners so she just let Mai do the rest. "We live here! Well, not here on the saloon, out house is in the second floor, of course." Mai laughed. Mikoto was glued to Mai's chest, and just nodded and hummed at Shizuru with approval.<p>

"I am Shizuru Fujino, I just arrived here, nice to meet you." Shizuru extended her arm and Mai accepted her handshake.

"I see, nice to meet you too, and I suppose you would like to have some food as well! Please, have a sit!" said Mai, and returned to the kitchen carrying Mikoto along with her.  
>Natsuki and Shizuru sat at a nearby table. Shizuru was quite amused with Natsuki's friends and really liked the place. Alasville was turning out as she hoped it would be. "Your friends are very nice." said Shizuru.<br>"Yeah… they're good people. But don't tell 'em I said that." said Natsuki while taking off her hat. Her black, long hair was now in its entire splendor. Shizuru couldn't help but to admire the cowgirl's beauty while she was distracted, and just for her luck, the girl started to take off the plaid shirt, keeping only her white tank top. She was quite thin, but her arms muscles looked strong. Her collarbone reflected the dim light of the lanterns that hanged from the ceiling.

Natsuki laid back on her chair and looked back at Shizuru, who looked away quickly and started coughing. The red-eyed girl breath turned heavier and she felt the heat on her face. Alasville weather was surely hotter than Kizawa City. Shizuru raised her arms to take off the, now completely unnecessary, sweater she was wearing. _She took it off… Oh, man look at that pair! …Wait, Natsuki wha' da hell is wrong with ya? _Natsuki looked away and breathed out. She couldn't help but to look again. _Oh my God, they're way too good. And her skin… AGH, STOP, FER GOD'S SAKE. _Natsuki shook her head as if that would shake the thoughts out of her mind. Shizuru looked back at Natsuki, confused.

"Is there something wrong, Natsuki?" she politely asked.

"Eh, ah, no, just that… it's quite, I mean, I need something to drink, and… do you want water? It's, ehm, it's hot, I'm, it's just that you look hot, I MEAN IT'S HOT INSIDE HERE. I'll get beer." Natsuki finished and rushed to the kitchen, and Shizuru felt puzzled. Once inside the kitchen, Natsuki sighed and breathed deeply. _Just calm down, would ya? Don't bring weird shit to y'ar head 'gain. _The cowgirl thought to herself. "Mai! I'll a couple of beers, 'kay?" she said to the ginger and grabbed a jar with lemonade from the fridge. _OK, just come back and relax, breath deeply... _

She walked back to the table, bringing the bottles of beer.

"Here. Mai makes this herself." Natsuki opened the cold beverages and sat down. Shizuru grabbed her glass and tasted the hand-made beer.

"It's great." A small drop of it slipped from her lips, and she took it with her index and gave Natsuki a flirty look before almost kissing it to pour it back into her mouth and then she just casually looked away. Natsuki blushed and drank her glass in two huge gulps.

"So… have you always lived here?" asked Shizuru in a very curious manner.

"Yeah… I've been here forever, though I've traveled a bit with my grandpa… I live here with him. We own a carpentry workshop and my grandpa has this weird hobby with raising horses." said Natsuki and sipped her lemonade.

"How interesting! I've just graduated from college, I studied architecture in Kizawa's University." said Shizuru.

"Wow… that's impressive. How old 're ya?"

"I'm 22. How about you? Though… you look younger than I am." Shizuru giggled, and Natsuki felt as if she was a child.

"I'm 19. I'm not that young." said Natsuki in a 'mature' tone and frowned. _Aww, look at her serious face! _

The kitchen door opened and Mai and Mikoto got through the door, carrying food that smelled delicious.

"Itadakimasu!" Mikoto said loudly and started vigorously eating a huge bowl of Mai's ramen.

Natsuki was right, Mai's food was definitely delicious and everyone enjoyed every bit of it. There was not only the best ramen Shizuru had tried, but also various delightful dishes.

"Mai, your food is really delicious, I truly enjoyed it." said Shizuru to the red-haired girl.

"Mai's ramen is the best ramen ever!" said Mikoto, and nodded.

"I'm glad you liked it, Shizuru. You are welcome to visit anytime! Which reminds me… where do you come from?" asked Mai, curiously. It was evident she was dying to ask Shizuru all about her life.

"I come from Kizawa City. I'm an architect, I just finished college and I'm moving to the 'old falling flat', in Natsuki's words." Shizuru said and smiled at Mai.

"Oh, I see. And where do you and Natsuki know each other from?"

"Well… We just bumped into each other when I was walking out from the train station." said Shizuru and looked at Natsuki.

"Yeah, uhm, I accidentally pushed her to the floor… that's where we know each other from. She was lookin' fer a cab." said Natsuki and snorted. Mai laughed.

"Oh, it's true, and how are you getting home then? It's not that near to walk…" said Mai in a worried tone.

"I'll give her a ride on m'bike. Mai, can we leave fer a mom'nt Shizuru's suitcase in h're, just while I take 'er home?" said Natsuki.

"Yes, of course! You should take her home already, surely she has tons of things to do!" said Mai.

Shizuru thanked Mai, who refused to charge Shizuru for the food, saying it was a welcome gift, so she and Natsuki got going.

The both of them got on the motorcycle and Natsuki turned on the engine of the powerful machine.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a helmet, I don't usually bring it when I'm driving inside town." Natsuki apologized while turning her face back to look at Shizuru, leaving their faces barely two inches apart from each other. She could smell the city girl's sweet fragrance, flooding her senses. Shizuru couldn't get her red eyes off Natsuki's green gems. She felt as if something locked her to them, and resisted the urge to kiss her pink lips. Instead she just hugged her close tight.

"Don't worry." said Shizuru quietly. Natsuki turned around and got the motorcycle going. She felt every inch of Shizuru's body on her back, her legs, and her soft arms embracing her strongly. She felt strangely happy and smirked. It was getting dark already, and they could see the sunset right in front of them, coloring everything with orange, red, yellow. Large clouds of dust raced behind the motorcycle.

Shizuru's head rested in Natsuki's shoulder. _I could stay like this forever, watching the sunset and hugging you, Natsuki, _Shizuru thought, closing her eyes and burying her face in Natsuki's body. The black-haired girl could feel Shizuru's nose and mouth on the back of her shoulder, making a wave of warmth cross her body.

"A-Are you okay?" she asked to the green-eyed beauty.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I'm just tired… Please don't worry about me, Natsuki." whispered Shizuru and rested her head on Natsuki's shoulder.

"It's okay. We are already there." said Natsuki. Shizuru looked and saw the old falling flat. _Despite everything, it is still a very beautiful house that just needs to be rejuvenated! _Thought Shizuru, optimistically. The panels of the house had a light-blue old paint on them. It had a porch at the front, with an old white bench, and a wide backyard. There was a huge tree on the backyard, where a wheel swing hanged from a branch. Shizuru and Natsuki got off the bike and Shizuru looked at every place, taking mental notes of what she would be done to the house; Repainting everything, repairing and changing some of the old wood in the floor, cutting the extremely over-growth grass, some broken windows, new lights.

"I never thought anyone would live in this ol' house." said Natsuki while standing on the front door.

"Well… You would never expect how things turn out like." Shizuru said, opening the door and turning on the light. Or at least tried to turn it on. "Now that's going to be a problem." sighed Shizuru, trying to see something inside the darkness of the house.

"Let's go get som' new light bulbs now, we can walk to da' grocery, it's just passing that block."

Shizuru smiled to Natsuki and they started walking to the store. The night had already fallen and few stars where starting to shine on the nocturnal sky. It was quiet and calm. In the porch of a nearby house, an elderly couple sat on swinging chairs, the old man was smoking a pipe and the woman was knitting. A small red barn rose on the side of their house. The old man put down his pipe and looked at them.

"Oi! Natsuki-kun!" he shouted at Natsuki, who looked embarrassed at Shizuru and then turned back to look at him. The old man had barely any hair left, and what was left was gray. His nose was crooked, as if he had broken it when young and his face was covered with wrinkles. Despite it all, he definitely seemed as someone who had been very handsome when young. He was wearing a worn-out denim overall.

"Wha' is it grandpa?" Natsuki said to the man.

"You should be back at this house before midnight if ya don't wanna have problems!" he shouted. "Yeah, yeah." Natsuki said and shrugged her shoulders. "Did ya hear me, slacker?" the old man shouted again.

"Yeah, I did hear ya! I'd be back by midnight!" Natsuki said, irritated.

"Honey, won't you present us to your friend?" the old lady asked Natsuki, smiling sweetly at Shizuru, who smiled back at her. Natsuki's cheeks turned pink.

"Yeah granny…" she said and turned at Shizuru. "Grandpa, granny, this is Shizuru Fujino. She just arrived from Kizawa City. She's living at the old falling flat." Natsuki said shyly.

"Shizuru, what a beautiful name for such a pretty girl like you. I am Lauren Goodman and this is my husband Robert, we are Natsuki's grandparents." said Natsuki's grandma. Lauren Goodman was a very short woman, with pale skin and pink cheeks, and not as many wrinkles as expected in a woman of her age. Her hair was completely white, tied up in an up-do. She had green eyes, just like Natsuki's.

"Mrs. and Mr. Goodman, I'm so pleased to meet you." said Shizuru with a wide smile.  
>"So tell me dear, I have never seen you around so I suppose you just arrived town?" said Mrs. Goodman. Robert Goodman kept smoking his pipe and kept on staring at Shizuru, with a serious face that looked a lot like the one Natsuki made.<p>

"Yes, I arrived town today and I had the fortune of meeting Natsuki, who has been very kind in showing me some place to eat and taking me home." said Shizuru. Natsuki blushed very deeply and her grandmother smiled tenderly at her.  
>"Is that so? My sweet child, you did that for this girl?" she asked her granddaughter, who just nodded and crossed her arms.<br>"Well, 'fter all it seems ya've learn'd sumthin' from us. Good fer ya, kid." Mr. Goodman said to Natsuki. Shizuru caught a glimpse of a smile in Natsuki's face.

"Well, I'm sure you'd keep on talkin' the whole night but we gotta buy some stuff fer Shizuru's house." Natsuki said to her grandparents.

"Oh, yes of course, but maybe Shizuru could come to have dinner with us tomorrow?" Mrs. Goodman asked Shizuru.  
>"Oh but I don't want to be more of a trouble than I've already been to Natsuki!" Shizuru answered.<p>

"No, but it wouldn't be a trouble, not at all! We would all love you to come and share some delicious food and chat with us! Don't we, Robert?" she asked her husband, who closed his eyes and nodded, his pipe in his right hand. "Yeah, 'course." he answered.

"Well, then… I can't reject such a generous offer from such a lovely family. Thanks for your hospitality." Shizuru said. She felt really flattered.

With goodbyes said and after Natsuki's grandpa threatened again with getting home by midnight they kept on walking to the grocery store.

"Your grandparents are really charming people." Shizuru said to Natsuki. Shizuru walked with her arms down and her hands interlaced in front of them. Natsuki had both of her hands inside her pockets.

"I'd believe that 'bout my grandma'… but not so much 'bout my ol' man!" she answered and both of them started laughing.

"You have always lived with them?" Shizuru asked, a bit hesitant. She did not want to force Natsuki about something awkward.

"Almost… since I was six, I believe. My parents died in a strange helicopter accident. No one really know wha' happened, but ever since I lived with my grandparents." Natsuki said.

"I'm so sorry…" she said and looked down.

"It's 'kay. It's been a long time, I'm… well, I'm used to it ya know? 'Course I wish they were alive but life with my grandparents has been good. I've got a house, food and people that cares 'bout me… I've got nothin' to complain 'bout." she said and looked up to the sky. They kept on walking quietly for a while. The night was slowly getting colder; so cold that Shizuru's sweater wasn't enough to keep her warm.

"It's cold… how can it be if it was really hot before?" Shizuru said while rubbing her arms. Natsuki smiled at her.

"Welcome to the desert. You should probably get used to this constant changes. Here." Natsuki took of her plaid shirt and gave it to Shizuru, who looked blankly at her and blushed a little. She wasn't one to blush easily but this completely took her by surprise.

"But… aren't you cold? And you're just wearing a tank-top…"

"It's fine, I'm used to it." Natsuki said and looked away. Shizuru rubbed a bit the fabric. It was cotton, a bit thick. She putted it on and felt warmer. She took the collar fabric and brought it close to her face. It had on it Natsuki's soft smell. "Thanks…" she whispered.

Finally, they arrived to the grocery store and bought light bulbs, water, tea, and some other basic things to have, like a lantern for example, and walked back to the flat.

It was really dark now and it was hard to walk between all the over grown grass, they had to step very carefully not to get entangled or step on a whole in the dirt. Shizuru turned on the lantern and opened the door to her house. She could see her stuff was already there, in the boxes on the floor and she could distinguish that some furniture was covered with sheets. They both entered the house carefully. The floor was wooden and the walls had some old white flowered wallpaper. Shizuru took one of the light bulbs in order to change it, but Natsuki stepped forward and took the bulb.

"I'll do it." said Natsuki in a deep voice.

"Ara, you are so kind, Nat-su-ki."

Natsuki grabbed a chair to stand on and changed the light bulbs in the living room, the dining room and the kitchen, as well as the porch and the backyard.

"Shouldn't we get upstairs? We should check if the rooms are in condition for you to sleep in 'em… Hope there're no rats or sumthin'…" said Natsuki. _Rats? Why didn't I think about that…? Ugh, revolting. _

The two girls walked up the stairs, also wooden and covered in a cracked white paint, like the rest of the house. There were two door rooms next to each other on the front, and another at the right.  
>"This is more likely to be the main room, the other is surely a smaller one and the door on the left is probably the bathroom." Shizuru said and leaded the way to the first room. There was a large window that allowed the moonlight inside the room. It had view to the front of the flat. Natsuki changed the light bulb and turned it on right away. Inside the room there was a large bed, a dressing table with a mirror and a rusty wardrobe, the three of them with beautiful decorations engraved on the white wood. The room and furniture in it were gorgeous and vintage, but were covered in dust.<p>

_Oh well, I'll have to clean tomorrow… I'm too tired to do it now. I just want to rest already._  
>The next bedroom was empty; there was only a built-in closet on the wall. The bathroom was conserved in good conditions despite the time of disuse. The floor and walls were covered with white and blue mosaic, and there was a white, old-fashioned bathtub, sink and toilette. It just needed to be cleaned properly but clean water came out of the faucet perfectly.<p>

Once they finished examining the house and checking everything was in proper conditions, they came back to the living room.

"Well, I think I have to go now… you know, my grandpa n' stuff…" Natsuki said.

"Natsuki you are so kind, really, I couldn't thank you enough for everything you've helped me with today." Shizuru said, truly grateful to the green eyed girl.

They were standing in front of the door, near each other.

"It's nothing… you are new in here and I was free today so…" Natsuki blushed and looked away.

"You're so sweet…" Shizuru gave a small step, getting nearer Natsuki, while she was looking away. She softly kissed her cheek. "Good luck, please get back home safely." she whispered to Natsuki, who turned to look at Shizuru and blushed even more.

"Yes… thanks." Natsuki got outside the house quickly and closed the door. She stood there for a moment, softly rubbing the place where Shizuru had kissed her. She felt hypnotized and wasn't sure of what just hit her. She got on the motorcycle and rode back home, cool wind on her hair, still with her mind on blank.

Meanwhile, Shizuru rested with her back on the door and her eyes closed, until she heard the bike's engine leaving the yard. _Natsuki… I feel like I've known you forever and have just remembered it._


	3. The Goodman's

Hello! I'm so so so so so sooooo SORRY about the incredibly long time since I've updated this story... College can be very asphyxiating from time to time. However, I'm back with a new chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! :) xo

III

Shizuru woke up early that day in order to get her "new" home clean, make house repair work, and start searching for a job in Alasville. She got the newspaper early in the morning, started the day by cooking a tasty omelette with cheese and champignons and hot coffee for breakfast. All of the old drapes were open, as well as the windows, so that the sunshine and fresh air entered to revitalize the old house. She played some groovy and energetic music on her freshly unpacked stereo. She was in a great mood. Today is a good day! I can smell it in my delicious omelette, yumm!

After finishing her delightful breakfast, she cleaned up the first plant of the house and finished unpacking the boxes that the moving service brought. It was going to be a long day.

It was almost noon when Natsuki woke up on her bedroom, feeling like she could still sleep for an entire, day but she had to be up by the time her grandpa came back, or he would give her a not-so-nice earful of what a lazybones she was. Though she didn't think it was far from truth: she actually was kinda lazy, but anyway wasn't pleased to hear his old man yelling at her. She rubbed her eyes and yawned widely, taking off the blue plaid sheets of her body and sitting up on her bed. A nice, hot shower first of all, or I won't ever really wake up, the black-haired girl thought. Natsuki stood up and stretched her arms, feeling every bone on her back cracking.

The walls were covered in band's posters, such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, between others. Carmine red tapestry on the walls, her favourite colour, the floor covered with a blue navy, soft carpet. Natsuki's room wasn't too big, but she liked it better that way. Her window had street-view, and standing in front of the window, an old wooden desk, covered with comics, books and drawings of her own. Natsuki was a very artistic person, and most of the time she felt that art and music were the only way she could express her feelings, as words weren't quite her strong point. Her most precious belonging stood in a corner: a Fender Telecaster semihollow vintage guitar, a natural wood colour, with an f violin like hole in the body. Maple. It had belonged to her father. On her night table, an old portrait of Natsuki and her the colour in the picture was a bit faded, the images were perfectly distinguishable. She was very little and was standing between them, holding each her mom and dad hands. Her parents looked down at her, smiling and she laughed at the camera.

She looked by the window and saw exactly what she had expected: her grandparent's truck wasn't there, what meant they weren't there either. Confident that no one was home at that hour, she turned on some rock music at a loud volume. Natsuki couldn't start to function without music at the 'mornings' (her definition of mornings were the moment she wakes up, independent of the time it was).

She took off the old white t-shirt and boxers she used to sleep and walked naked to the bathroom, scratching her head and yawning. Her body was slim and worked out. She looked taller than she really was, but she could be described as a petite. Despite how boyish her tastes and personality were there still was something very delicate in her way of walking and moving, in the way she waved her hair, in the manner she rubbed her cheek.

She opened the hot faucet and steamy water spouted. Hot water, I love you, the girl thought and stepped into the shower, feeling the heat and the rock music awakening her. She faced the faucet and let the water pour onto her face, dripping on her body, and closed her eyes. A Beatles song started playing, When I Saw Her Standing There, and then it hit her: Shizuru was going to have dinner with them that night. She cursed, how could she not remember that? She started feeling nervous as soon as she remembered this and her flow of thoughts accelerated in that same instant.

Wha' the freakin' hell am I gon'na wear? Sweet Jesus, why, WHY didn't I remember this before?! Oh God… 'Kay, first of all, Natsuki, you'll get Shizuru's suitcase from Mai's, 'kay? Just… just chill man… oh God I need Mai's advice! Yeah, yes, that's it, you'll go and talk to Mai… agh, but that gossipy girl, she'll try to stick her nose where no one calls her as soon as you mention something! Fuck… I guess that's the price I'll have to pay, I suck at this things so I NEED to ask her, and she has dated before and… aggh, I'll figure something later.

She stepped out of the shower, water dripping all over her body, and buried her face on the soft towel. She sighed and wrapped herself on the tower. Absent-minded, she left to her bedroom, dropped the towel and lay on her bed again, passing her fingers through her wet hair. She sighed, and got dressed in less than five minutes. She ran downstairs, grabbed some milk and toast with marmalade her grandma left for her and stormed out of the house, got on the Ducati and left.

Natsuki arrived to Mai's and opened the door. They still weren't open, and Mai sat there with Mikoto, looking at her with a puzzled look on her face.

"Natsuki, what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

"Yeah I just… I came for Shizuru's suitcase. She'll… my granny invited her for dinner tonight." said Natsuki in the chilliest tone she could, despite her despair.

"Ahhh… I understand." said Mai in a naughty tone. "Beautiful, isn't she? Shizuru."

"Yes she is really beau-" she stopped and shook her head. "Mai, just give me the suitcase already, would you?" said Natsuki in an irritated tone.

"Hmmm, I think Romeo just found her Juliette, don't you think Mikoto?" Mai winked at Natsuki and Mikoto nodded and hummed in approval.

"What?! What the hell are you talking about?! You are imagining stuff, crazy woman. Give me the suitcase! NOW!" she shouted at Mai.

"Hmm, I don't think that's the only reason you came, after all it's still 'early' for you. Just tell me what you want to ask already, would you? Don't make this harder for both of us." Mai said and made her best not to laugh. Natsuki sighed and dropped herself into a chair. "It's just that…" she didn't even know where to start. "I… Mai, you know I've never dated anyone, you know it! I'm…" she evaded Mai's eyes. "I'm very nervous about it." she rubbed her eyes. "Specially 'cause my grandpa and granny will be there and I have to act chill but she… she's, I don't know, it's the only person I've ever felt like I can't handle with." she finished, still covering her red face from the ginger scrutiny. Mai felt really taken by surprise. Natsuki had never had any problem like this before and much less was the kind of person to show desesperation like this. So, it seems like this is her first love… hmm, Natsuki, well you came to the right place!

"Okay, Natsuki, first of all, you have to relax a bit, yes?" she said and patted the cowgirl's back. "Come on, breath deeply and uncover your face already." The tomboy shook her head. "Do it or I won't be able to help you! Woman! Put yourself together!" Natsuki grumbled but regained her composure. She breathed deeply. "'Kay… I can do that much." Natsuki said. Her face was completely red and she still couldn't shake off the heat. Mai stood right behind her and put her hands on Natsuki's shoulders, as if she was in the corner of a box ring and Mai was her coach, encouraging her to go on with the fight.

"Ok, look, why don't you go and do something that keeps you out of your mind until dinner time, yes? I don't know, draw or something… Just stop your mind from wandering and being nervous, because it's only gonna make it worse." Mai said wisely.

"Yeah… that's a good idea…" said Natsuki, relaxing.

"Natsuki, I don't even understand why you are nervous. Shizuru is definitely a hot foreigner, BUT, so are you to her eyes! For her, you are completely exotic. And it's quite obvious she likes you too, you already earned many extra points with her yesterday. Specially by taking her to eat, free of charge, to the best saloon in Alasville." Mai said, in a proud, business-like fashion.

"Yeah… Exotic? Wha' you mean?" Natsuki asked, startled.

"Yes, exotic! I mean, you have foreign blood on your veins! You have a… special accent." Mai said, not completely convinced but trying to make it look convincing.

"'N wha' is exactly exotic 'bout it?!" Natsuki snorted.

"Oh, come on, just let it flow it's gonna be all right! And…" Mai said and smiled evily. "You will probably have snuggled her by midnight." the ginger declared in a dark tone.

"ARE YA OUT OF YER MIND?!" Natsuki screamed to Mai, who started laughing madly and threw the small suitcase at Natsuki, who caught it in the air and left in a rush.

It was past noon when Shizuru finished cleaning and unpacking, so she decided it was a good moment to rest and have something to drink while she looked up for a job in the newspaper. She sighed and sat on the table with a jar of fresh squeezed lemonade, crossing her legs.

"Okay, let's get a job. Now, let's see… Ah, here." she said while looking through the newspaper pages and finding the not-so-large job section. There were barely two pages of small announcements, and she started encircling those who she could work at, but nothing very good appeared, just random one-day jobs. She reread the two pages about three times, but there wasn't a job of which she could really live from. She stood up and let herself fall on the couch, covering her face with her hands, and , this is going to be a bit more of a challenge than I thought… Oh, well, I still have money to live for a while… Hope to get something stable soon. But, talking about 'something soon'… I have to get ready for dinner with the Goodman's! And my pretty Natsuki, of course. Therefore, I have to look the best Shizuru Fujino can! Shizuru finished her mental monologue and hurried upstairs to get ready for dinner.

She had just finished showering and was now brushing her hair in front of the mirror, wrapped on her white towel, when she noticed Natsuki's shirt on her night table, next to her bed. Oh, I was so tired when I went to sleep I didn't even took it off… She grabbed it and felt the cotton fabric, and remembered the warm sensation she had when she was wearing it. Shizuru smiled to herself and buried her face on the shirt, smelling Natsuki's scent and recalling the sensations she had when riding on Natsuki's motorcycle. Holding tight to her, embracing her slender waist, tenderly pushing her chin on the cowgirl's shoulder, holding back from kissing her pink lips. She took off her towel and decided to use it for the last time while she decided what to wear, and walked over to analyze her wardrobe, and decide what would fit the best for this occasion. Casual but nice…

She finally finished putting on the outfit she choose to be fitting for a family dinner and left the house happily, expecting and hoping to give the Goodman's a nice impression. After walking for a few minutes, she finally arrived the white flat. She walked up the porch stairs and was about to ring the bell when she heard a guitar playing, coming from the barn. The sound was smooth and clean; the music was soft and slow. Shizuru could tell the responsible of that music was a gifted player, and decided to take a look.

She entered the barn and found Natsuki, sitting on a small bench and facing opposite, in the middle of the barn, which was covered with straw. Next to her, an amplifier plugged to her guitar. Shizuru walked in quietly, and decided to listen for a bit more before letting Natsuki know that she was there. Natsuki's hands moved tenderly on the guitar's neck, almost caressing it. Her sound was tranquilizing and beautiful. A smooth blues, with country hints, very soulfull. The musician finished playing and just sat there quietly, holding the guitar.

"Ara, Natsuki is such a talented girl." Shizuru said with her soft accent. Natsuki flinched and turned around at her spectator.

"Shizuru! How long have you been in here?! I-I mean… Hi. And thanks." Natsuki said coyly. She stood up and walked towards the hazelnut-haired girl, guitar in hand, looking at Shizuru. Shizuru was wearing black jeans and a white woven wool sweater, and carried a small brown handbag.

"Long enough to admire your playing. It's a beautiful guitar." she smiled at Natsuki, who smiled back at her and looked at her fine instrument.

"Yeah… It was my dad's. Her name is Nadeshiko."

"Oh, so she is a girl? Nice to meet you, Nadeshiko." Shizuru referred to the guitar. "I'm Shizuru, and I must admit I'm a bit jealous of you, spending so much time alone with Nat-su-ki." Shizuru said in her singsong accent, flirting with the cowgirl. Natsuki blushed and gave Shizuru a small smile, rubbing her arm.

"I must return this to you, Natsuki. Thanks a lot, it kept me really warm last night." The city girl gave Natsuki her plaid shirt.

"Sure, no prob'." Natsuki said. "Do you want to go inside? My granny and grandpa' 're in there already."

"Of course, Natsuki."

The two girls walked out of the barn and entered Natsuki's house. It was a very cozy home and the walls were covered in family pictures. To the left, there was the living room, and to the right the dining room and the kitchen. They were standing in a small entrance vestibule, and at the end of the corridor, a wooden staircase that leaded to the second floor of the house.

"Granny, Shizuru is here already." Natsuki announced to her grandma. Lauren Goodman's head appeared from the kitchen door, smiling sweetly as always.

"Shizuru, dear, it's so good to have you here! I'm almost done with the cooking, could you wait a bit with Natsuki-chan? I'll let you know when it's done, ok?" Natsuki's grandma said.

"Of course Mrs. Goodman, but don't you need any help?" Shizuru offered.

"No, no, don't worry, it will be ready in a trice!" Mrs. Goodman said.

"Let's go to mah' room." Natsuki told Shizuru. Ara, we are not wasting time, are we Natsuki? Shizuru thought, and followed Natsuki on the way upstairs. Shizuru looked around at the pictures on the walls, and saw a smiling young couple standing in the front of a church. Lauren and Robert Goodman, newly weds. On the next picture, a young man with a serious and handsome face, wearing a suit. He looked greatly like Natsuki, but with light-brown short hair.

"Yah, that's my dad. Daniel Goodman. My dad's family is American, as you probably realized by now. My mother was Japanese." She pointed at another picture, were Daniel Goodman hugged Natsuki's mother, a woman with long, straight black hair and soft Japanese features. "Saeko Kuga. And that's me." Shizuru looked at a baby Natsuki portrait and smiled.

"Pink cheeks since little… Such a cute baby girl." she teased Natsuki, whose cheeks turned pink indeed. "You look a lot like your father, but have your mom's constitution. And hair." Shizuru pointed out.

"Yeah…" Natsuki said quietly, looking at her parent's pictures. They kept on walking and entered Natsuki's room.

Natsuki placed Nadeshiko on her usual corner next to her bed and Shizuru sat on the bed. The cowgirl put some music on and sat close to Shizuru, feeling her heart beating strongly against her chest. She turned and looked at the red-eyed girl. Her eyes are like blazing fire… I feel like I'm glued to them. Natsuki thought, still looking inside Shizuru's eyes, feeling intoxicated. I… must… look… away…

"Do you like music?" it was the only question that came to Natsuki's mind to interrupt the constant staring. This girl just won't let it flow that easily… Hmm. Shizuru thought and sighed.

"Yes, I do, I actually had a classical music education since I was in middle school. I play the piano and cello, but mostly cello. I love Chopin and Rachmaninoff." Shizuru answered, looking around Natsuki's bedroom.

"Oh, that's cool. I never took lessons, I mean, my grandpa taught me som' stuff but ya know… not real lessons or anything. Mostly I play by ear…" Natsuki said, trying to look somewhere else but at Shizuru's eyes.

"Ara, but Natsuki has magic hands." said Shizuru, and softly took Natsuki's hand. Natsuki instantly felt the heat on her face, but tried to keep it cool.

"Well, they're a bit gritty… After the work at the carpentry and all…" Natsuki said, and Shizuru turned the palm over to have a better look at Natsuki's hand, examining it with her fingers, as if it was a delicate piece of art.

"You have pretty hands. And it doesn't matter if they are a bit gritty, after all… Some people like it rough." Shizuru said in a suggestive voice and placed Natsuki's hand on her knee, getting closer. Natsuki gulped. She couldn't move at all, and all she could see was Shizuru's face getting closer and closer. She felt Shizuru's fire look melting her face. This woman's gonna kill me, I swear.

They heard steps coming upstairs. Natsuki retrieved her hand from Shizuru's knee and backed off just in time to see her grandmother opening the door.

"Girls, the dinner is ready now! We'll be waiting for you in the dinning room." Mrs. Goodman said and closed the door again. Sweet Jesus, that was so close. Natsuki thought. She felt like her heart was walking through her throat. She looked at Shizuru, who hadn't even moved her position. She's got nerve, I must say, Natsuki thought.

Natsuki opened the door and let Shizuru walk through first and the rider went behind her.

The four of them finally sat on the table. A long rustic brick bar with tall chairs separated the dining room and the kitchen. Both of the kitchen and dining room had a country style and decorations, the windows covered with red flowered curtains, wooden furniture and floor. Lauren's food, composed by different kinds of grilled meat, cheese, mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables, smelled delicious. Natsuki started drooling and could feel her stomach growling. Shizuru was very impressed and felt touched by the warm welcome Natsuki's family was offering her. Robert glanced at her every other time, like trying to figure her out, however the girl answered him with a sweet smile. The old man's serious face wouldn't give in.

"Shizuru, tell us, why did you come to Alasville?" Lauren asked Shizuru, with curiosity.

"Oh, well, I'm… I just wanted to try something different and Alasville is the exact opposite of Kizawa so..." Shizuru said simply.

"I see, so big city was driving you mad and wanted a place to relax?" Mrs. Goodman said.

"Yes, but it's not exactly that..." she cleared her throat. "My family owns a very important technology enterprise, Fujino Corp., and they expected me to join them right away after I got my bachelor degree in architecture… but it was not what I wanted to do." she explained.

"Fujino Corp? I know 'em. We bought 'em some of the machines in the workshop. Why didn't ya' want'd to work with y'er family?" Robert Goodman spoke directly to Shizuru for the first time. Natsuki gulped, but Shizuru smiled at Mr. Goodman.

"I want to understand and feel what it's like to build your life from zero, I don't want to be what my family wants me to be, I want to be what I believe I am. I don't see myself as the president of some huge enterprise or something alike… I prefer simple things, a happy normal life." Shizuru concluded. Robert Goodman stared at her for a moment longer than usual. A crooked smile appeared in his face and he nodded once at Shizuru in approval.

"I agree." he simply said and drank a large gulp from his glass of dark beer, and thumped it back in the table, as a judge would thump a hammer in court.

"And this far, have you had any luck in your existential search? Have you found a job?" Lauren asked Shizuru. Natsuki just kept on chewing her meat and looking back from her grandparents to Shizuru as if she watched a tennis match.

"Not yet, unfortunately. I've been searching the newspaper but only found small jobs, nothing stable."

"Well then, you say you are an architect, right, and architects design houses and buildings, but can also design many other stuff, isn't it?" Lauren said with a bright look on her face.

"Yes, indeed." Shizuru nodded, a bit startled.

"Then… our family business is a carpentry workshop… in which we build from chairs to new porches, wardrobes, and many other wooden features and furniture… I was thinking…" Lauren looked from Natsuki to her husband, grabbing his hand. "We could really do some help at the workshop. My husband isn't as young as he was once…" Robert Goodman growled at this, but Lauren ignored him. "And, at least in Alasville, I can't see a best job for an architect to do! So, Shizuru, as the manager of Goodman Carpentry Workshop, I am offering you a job in our business, and I hope you accept it." Lauren concluded and looked with expectation at Shizuru. Natsuki was jaw dropped and glanced back to see his grandfather reaction. He was calmly lightning his pipe and expecting for Shizuru's answer. He would never mistrust his wife judgement. Wha' da heck?!

"Mrs. Goodman, I don't know what to say! I am more than grateful for your generous offer, and would be thrilled to accept a job in your workshop." Shizuru answered excitedly, with the widest smile on her face.

"Well then, the question is settled! You can start tomorrow, right away!" said Lauren Goodman. Robert Goodman raised his glass and everyone joined theirs to him, making the coupes cling. Shizuru looked at Natsuki while drinking, and winked at her. The green-eyed girl choked with her own beverage and started coughing. Lauren Goodman looked at her granddaughter. "Is everything ok, Natsuki-chan?" she asked.

"Yea', I'm fine. Just drank too fast." Natsuki lied to her grandmother and evaded Shizuru's gaze. The crimson-eyed girl repressed a giggle and kept on drinking.

"Mrs. Goodman, it was a lovely evening and the dinner was delicious. I can't thank you and your family enough for your hospitality." Shizuru thanked and helped Lauren to pick up the dishes and carry them to the kitchen. Robert Goodman and Natsuki were in the living room watching a baseball match.

"Oh, no, it's been a pleasure to have a charming girl like you in our house, and it was our Lord's word to share what we have with our fellows." the sweet lady said and squeezed both Shizuru's hands. Shizuru was overwhelmed, and surprisingly, blushed at Lauren Goodman's words and warmness.

"Also... I'm so happy you are friends with Natsuki, she is usually very coy and quiet, but it seems like you both got along well!" said Mrs. Goodman with a wide smile.

"Oh yes, she is timid but she is very kind and I'm also very glad to have met her and her family in here." said Shizuru, meaning every word.

"Well, we are done, Natsuki will help me later to clean this… Christ!" Natsuki's grandma looked up to the kitchen's clock. "It's getting late already, and I don't want you catching a cold!" Lauren headed to the living room. "Natsuki! Be a dear and give Shizuru a ride on your grandpa's truck, it's getting cold sweetheart!"

"In the truck? Really, are y'a gonna lend me the truck?" Natsuki looked up very surprised. Robert woke up from dozing and glanced at her wife. "Oh, yeah sure, I'll drive her home." Natsuki answered, still amazed at the fact that her grandmother liked Shizuru so much that she was willing to go over his husband's will and lend Natsuki his beloved truck. The old man could do nothing but growl beneath his breath at his wife's decision.

After Shizuru finished saying goodbye to Natsuki's grandparents, Natsuki grabbed her hat and keys, and they both headed outside the flat, where Robert Goodman's Dodge Fowler '52 red and recently polished truck was parked, shinning clean, almost as shiny as the star above their heads.

"For the brightness of the polish on this truck, is it right if I assume your grandfather is very fond of it?" Shizuru asked the cowgirl.

"Yeah, he loves this truck more than he loves his left toe!" Natsuki joked and they both laughed. Natsuki went ahead Shizuru and opened the co-driver door for her.

"Mm, Natsuki, such a gentle girl. Thanks." said Shizuru, and climbed inside the truck. "Anytime." Natsuki answered shyly and closed the door for her.

The green eyed girl climbed as well and got the gear on the truck going, with a loud roar of the motor. She caressed the leather steering wheel and the bar as her eyes went over the vintage board with a crooked smile.

"Ara, Natsuki is enjoying herself." said Shizuru in a singsong voice.

"Girl, you bet I am! Hey, d' you wanna go for a ride?" said Natsuki feeling more confident as she was now behind the steering wheel of a great american truck. "There's a hill a little further, near the highway, where you can see the stars shining real good... Maybe you'd like that, I mean, ya don't get a lof of stars in the city right?" Natsuki asked the metropolitan girl.

"Natsuki, that sounds very, very pretty. But won't your grandparents be wondering where you and the truck are?"

"Don't worry 'bout that. Let's go then!" Natsuki said notoriously excited as she got the truck on the street, ready to dive into a small adventure with her new companion, just the wind, the road, and two girls with almost opposed lives, now sharing a vintage truck.


	4. Orion

Haha you guys ask a lot of interesting questions in your reviews! Someone asked how could an architect get involved in a technology enterprise as Fujino Corp, and I just always thought of Fujino Corp. being super "new era" and stuff and creating houses with solar energy or just a lot of tech in them, like Japanese and Korean latest trends. Also I thought it'd be funny to have Natsuki's grandma calling her "Natsuki-chan" (even when there's no 'chan' about Natsuki, clearly). About Natsuki's "fashion crisis", she just ended up wearing what she always did: some old worn out jeans, old snickers, and a plaid shirt. She's not the kind of person who really puts an effort on clothing, she was just panicking. Anyway, I love to read your reviews, questions, comments, anything. Thanks a lot and enjoy! :) XO

IV

ORION

Natsuki turned on the radio and an old Creedence Clearwater song played, "Hey Tonight". Just the perfect tune for a drive in a vintage truck and a western town as Alasville.

"I love this song!" Shizuru told the cowgirl.

"Really? I've never met anyone else who likes Creedence!"

Natsuki turned around to look at Shizuru. The windows were open and the air blew Shizuru's hair. She looked just beautiful.

"Well, there's always a first time for everything, right?" Shizuru said and looked back at Natsuki, who looked back to the road quickly. Shizuru smiled, she loved to catch Natsuki staring at her.

"Yeah, you're right. What other rock bands do you like?" Natsuki asked the blonde girl.

"Oh, I love a lot of old bands... The Beatles, of course, Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, just a lot of classic rock."

_I think I'm dying of a love struck or sumthin'._

"Really? I love all of those too. I even got some LP's; they were my dad's. Music is mostly what I had left of him. It's so cool to find someone who enjoys good old rock n' roll too."

"Rock&roll baby!" Said Shizuru and turned the volume up as she started to sing.

_Hey tonight, gonna be tonight, don't you know I'm flying, tonight, tonight._

"Hey look, we're almost there!" Natsuki said and pointed at a hill just ahead them. She drove to the top of it and pulled over as they both jumped off the truck. Shizuru looked to the sky above them and admired the billions of shiny stars on it.

"Wow, Natsuki, this is truly amazing. This is the first time I feel so close to the stars. The moon looks huge... Like I could reach out and grasp it. Uh, and also I'm so cold. Brrr." Said Shizuru as she moved in closer to Natsuki.

"Oh. It's true, I'm sorry, I didn't think of it before... I didn't even bring an extra jacket or sumthin..." Said Natsuki, searching for something to cover Shizuru inside the truck, but there was nothing.

"Ara, Natsuki shouldn't worry, maybe you can just hold me for a while and I'll be all cozy and warm." The blonde girl said as she walked closer to the country girl. Natsuki's heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, yea', I guess that'll do for now."

Natsuki's hands trembled as she wrapped her arms around Shizuru's lean waist and sheltered her from cold as much as she could. Her head felt dizzy and her cheeks warm but she tried to act chill.

"Ookini, Natsuki." Thanked the blonde girl in Kyoto-ben, and cuddled in Natsuki's soft flannel shirt. "You're so warm, and smell so good." Shizuru whispered, and softly rubbed her nose against Natsuki's neck, making her spine chill and her face blush even harder. Natsuki gulped. "Do you come here by yourself often? Is this your special place?" she asked.

"Well, 'guess ya could say that... I do come here often by mah'self. Sometimes I ride up here with my bike and I just lie down on the grass and look at the sky, at the moon. I like the silence and the breeze. I even made some research and started to look for constellations I could see from here." said Natsuki. She grabbed Shizuru's right arm and pointed at the sky.

"That's Orion, The Greek Hunter. Did you know you can see this constellation from anywhere in the world?" said Natsuki. She grabbed Shizuru's hand and started connecting the lines between the stars with Shizuru's index.

"You see that line of little stars? That's the hunter's shield... Then there's Bellatrix in his right shoulder, Betelgeuse in the left one. Also Betelgeuse is the brightest star in Orion constellation, as well as Rigel, the right foot. Sometimes they call them Alpha and Beta. Right under the shoulders, there's Orion's belt, those three bright stars perfectly aligned; that's Orion most characteristic line of stars. It's been a guidance resource since foreva', I think." Natsuki finished her explanation about the constellation and lowered Shizuru's hand, but kept on holding to it.

Shizuru turned around to look at Natsuki's face, staring right inside her green eyes. She wasn't sure if she was looking at Alpha and Beta in Orion's constellation or at Natsuki's face, and without any warning, further advice, without even thinking about it or realizing what she was really doing, she grabbed Natsuki's face, drove her close and kissed her pink lips as she had never kissed anyone before. It was a soft kiss, almost childish, innocent and honest. She rubbed Natsuki's cheek a little and looked up to her green eyes again. The star fan couldn't even blink, like she was hit by her grandpa's truck. Shizuru buried her face on Natsuki's neck again and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist. Natsuki was speechless; she had never even kissed anyone before. Apart from being still shock, there was only one feeling she had in that moment: pure bliss. Despite the shyness and awkwardness she irradiated, she had never felt that kind of joy in her heart. However, she didn't know how to act or what to say. After a while, she finally said:

"Does this mean you want me to keep talking about stars?"

Shizuru burst in laughter and kissed Natsuki again.

"Yes, Natsuki, I want you to keep talking about stars, cars, motorcycles, music," she kissed her once per topic, "about anything you like."

Natsuki smiled and rubbed Shizuru's nose with her own.

"Yeah? And if I don't feel like talkin'?" Natsuki whispered, teasing the red-eyed girl, and bit Shizuru's lower lip a little. Shizuru smiled and bit Natsuki back.

"Oh well, I'm not so sure about that... Maybe we can just-" she was abruptly interrupted by Natsuki's deep and passionate kiss, so enthusiastic that her cowboy hat even fell off her head and lifted Shizuru's feet from the floor for a moment. They finally had to break the kiss to get some air.

"Ara, Natsuki-chan isn't playing child games anymore. I'm glad. You made me remember a japanese story about two lovers, represented with stars. We even celebrate a festival about it every year. Wanna hear it?"

"Yeah, 'course."

"The story characters are Orihime, The Vega star, and Hikoboshi, the Altair star. The legend says Orihime, daughter of Tentei, worked very hard in knitting a cloth his father liked very much, but she worked so hard every day she was upset she could never meet anyone she could love. So one day his father arranges a meeting for her with Hikoboshi, who was a cow herder in a nearby town. As soon as they met, the fell in love and in brief time, they married. However, when they married, Orihime stopped weaving for her father and Hikoboshi stopped taking care of his cows. Tentei was so angry he separated them across the Amonagawa River, the Milky Way. So Orihime was so sad about this, she begged her father to let her meet with Hikoboshi, and he was so moved with his daughter crying he allowed her to meet him on the seventh day of the seventh month if she worked hard, and ever since we celebrate Tanabata festival to celebrate their meeting." The japanese storyteller finished her explanation on Tanabata.

"I got mixed feelings 'bout this story. It's so pretty and interesting but at the same time... So sad." Said the cowgirl, who had been paying a lot of attention to Shizuru's story.

"I know. But yet, it's a pretty story. And, it's gonna be Tanabata soon! The celebrations start on July 7th. Maybe we can celebrate it, would you like that, Natsuki?" Shizuru smiled at Natsuki and rubbed her cheeks with both of her hands.

"That sounds nice. What do you do at Tanabata? How d'ya celebrate?" Natsuki asked with curiosity.

"You never had any japanese celebration right?"

"Not really, no. I would have like to but my gran's know little 'bout japanese culture. Neither do I. Wish I did, u know, 'cause of my mom and all." Natsuki answered, sadly.

"Don't worry about that, I'll teach you what I know and I can even borrow you some books, if you like. In Tanabata we write our wishes in color papers and hang them from bamboo branches. It's so cute! But not as cute as Nat-su-ki!" Shizuru said in her singsong accent.

"Da' ya think I'm cute?" Said Natsuki in a strong accent.

"Absolutely. Specially when you frown like that and talk like a rough girl when you're actually so sweet." She pinched Natsuki's cheeks.

"Am I?" Natsuki asked, confused, making Shizuru laugh again.

"Yes, terribly sweet." Shizuru placed her forehead on Natsuki's, closed her eyes and let the moment sink inside her mind and memory forever, she never ever wanted to forget what she felt in that moment, now and then.

"Natsuki, I think it's getting late and... I mean I love to be here with you but I don't want you getting into trouble."

"Yeah, I didn't even realize. But before we leave..." She gave Shizuru a full mouth kiss, rubbing her hands against her hips and waist, as if she wanted to tattoo her hands over the girl. She bit Shizuru's lips and broke the kiss, smiling at the blonde girl.

Again, Natsuki held the door open for Shizuru and helped her in. They drove back to town, and headed to Shizuru's place. Natsuki turned off the truck's gear and looked at Shizuru.

"Shizuru I'm..." She didn't know how to start. "I'm really happy we crashed that day on the train station." She said shyly.

"I'm glad too Natsuki." Shizuru said and held the guitarist's hand. Natsuki moved closer to Shizuru and, after a small hesitation, gave her a soft kiss, just as the first one Shizuru gave her.

"When can I see you again?" Natsuki whispered in Shizuru's ear.

"Natsuki forgets something..." She answered with a giggle. "Your grandma hired me! I'll see you again tomorrow at the workshop!"

"Ah! That's right! I didn't remember it..." The truth sank in and Natsuki's eyes opened as plates.

"Don't worry about anything, I promise not to tell your grannie you kissed a girl, more than once!" Shizuru jumped off the truck.

"See you around, Natsuki." She blew her a kiss and walked inside her house.

_So... Mai was right._


	5. Boy, Deputy and Nuns

Hi guys! I'm sorry it's been long since updating, I've been kinda crazy-busy but now I'll have some time to spare :P I already started writing the next chapter, so I hope to get it on here soon! I want to dedicate this chapter to abandoned dogs and cats on the streets. Remember, adopt a friend for life! :)

V

Lauren Goodman and Robert Goodman were having pouchè eggs with turkey ham and freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast, accompanied with the daily toasts with marmalade, usually left over for Natsuki's hurried brunch before work. It was 8 o'clock in the morning, the normal breakfast time for the Goodman elderly couple.

"Lauren." Said the old man softly, as he always did when talking to his wife.

"Yes my dear?" Answered his wife in the same manner.

"I'll be today at this Fujino girl first work day, alright?"

"Are you sure Robb? I thought you weren't feeling very good lately. And I'm quite positive the girl will do well, or at least she seems to be capable."

"That's not what worries me." Robert answered quietly.

"But what else could be worrying you, darling?" Said Lauren in a skeptical voice.

"She's..." The elder man paused to choose his words carefully. "Unusual." He concluded.

"Does it seems so for you?"

Robert nodded.

"Well, I find it natural for her to be unusual for us since we are country people and she's been raised in a huge city, things are very different back there..."

"No, it's not about that, Lauren. It's something different. I can't explain it." said Robert.

"Well then, you can presence her work today if it eases your mind, I suppose." Lauren agreed.

Mr. Goodman nodded again and drank a big gulp of orange juice.

Natsuki laid down on her bed, staring at the ceiling while her grandparents had breakfast. It was a grayish morning, and the weather was slightly rainy. She could not stop thinking about last night with Shizuru and still wondered if it even actually happened. Her breathing went up and down slowly and her chest felt comfortably warm. She cuddled inside the sheets and smiled as flesh memories came back to her, Shizuru's blonde hair on her face and her small nose rubbing her neck...

"Oi! NATSUKI! Get up already, slacker!" Robert's hoarse voice rang like a fire alarm inside the cowgirl's ears, making her jump out of bed, grabbing the nearest pair of jeans and one of the many plaid shirts she used. She hurried downstairs long before expected, surprising Mr. Goodman and joining him on the table as he went through the newspaper with a cup of hot coffee and a wooden smoking pipe. He stared from behind the large sheets of paper as she chomped toasts with bacon, taking large gulps of orange juice.

"Thought ya wouldn't even hear me', 'was 'bout to call ya 'gain." He dragged the words with the pipe clenched to his teeth.

"Not this time', I did hear ya' gn'pa." Natsuki kept on chewing breakfast.

"Wha's the hurry kid? There's still some time left before workshop opens." Robert looked at her granddaughter inquiringly. Natsuki slightly choked on orange juice and coughed.

"Need to visit Mai before." She answered quietly.

"Wha' could be so damn important ya' even woke early huh?" He held the pipe with his left hand and folded the newspaper.

"N-Nothin' 'mportant, Im just gonna..." She couldn't come up with something to tell her grandpa.

"Anyway. Don't be late, see ya later." He stood up and left Natsuki.

After finishing her hurried breakfast, Natsuki grabbed her helmet and a black leather jacket, got on her shiny Ducati and rode all the way to Mai's salloon.

"Mai! Mai, are ya here?" She pushed through the cantina doors.

"Natsuki...?" Mai's sleepy voice called from upstairs, and Natsuki went following it.

"Oi, Mai, are ya sleeping?" Natsuki ran upstairs and entered Mai's bedroom without much concern. Mai and Mikoto were all rolled inside the bedsheets, Mikoto deeply snorting.

"Mai, please wake up man, I need to tell ya about it!" Natsuki pulled Mai's arm, who slowly incorporated on the bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Tell me about it... Natsu..." She was making an effort to wake up, scratching her eyes.

"Mai, we kissed! You were right! It was so freaking good man!" She told Mai about dinner with her grandparent's and the little scape on Natsuki's star-viewing hill.

"Woah, Mrs. Goodman invited her to dinner? That's great, it's always good to have a fair relationship with family..." Mai was now fully awake and just as excited as Natsuki.

"Yeah... She even gave her a job at the workshop, though not sure what she'd actually think if she knew..."

Then it hit her: she had not even thought of what her grandparents would think if they knew about Natsuki being... Gay? Did this mean she was actually gay? She had always knew guys just weren't her fave dish but it was different to actually have some kind of relationship or whatsoever with a woman, specially with her grandparents watching very closely. And this was the first time she was, indeed, in the oportunity of exploring and learning about the being with a girl affair. People in Alasville were normally very narrow-minded and prejudiced, not to say extremely religious, even nuns ran and handled Alasville School (which was actually middle, elementary and high school... hey, it's a small town!) without anyone having a problem with it, on contraire: everyone totally agreed with it.

"You shouldn't worry about it now Natsuki, it's too soon! For now, maybe you should try to keep lo profile and see how things develope." Mai said and changed the subject. "Natsuki-chan, seducing outsiders with astrology talk! Look at you, my little baby is growing!" Mai winked and pulled Natsuki's cheek, mocking her.

"Shaddup! And it's not astrology, it's astronomy, dumbass... I'm about to see her in an hour, and... My grandpa said he was gonna be there today, which I think is kinda weird, I mean, at his age and with his health, he can barely stay ten minutes on his feet."

"Really? But it's been long since Mr. Goodman doesn't actually works there right? You think he suspects something?" Mai regreted to add more worrying on her friend.

"I dunno... He was a bit odd today, more than usual. I guess there's where I got my awkwards from. Anyway, I have to go Mai, m'grandpa want me early." She grabbed her helmet and walked towards the door.

"Yeah, I bet Shizuru wants you early too!"

"Shut it Mai!".

Shizuru sat down on her bed and waited for it to be time to leave to the workshop. She grabbed paper and pen and decided to write a letter to her best friend.

_Dear Haruka,_

_How are things back in Kyoto? I miss you a lot. I hope you understand my reasons to leave, though you didn't answer my last letter. I'm sorry if I hurt you or made you angry, but I really can't stay without talking to you, so please, at least read what's been going on in my new home._  
><em>Today is my first day at a real, non family related job, though I still believe it wasn't the normal way to get a job. It's an interesting story to tell, actually. One could say it was serendipity, if I believed in such. Three days ago, just arriving Alasville, I crashed on the cutest cowgirl you could ever imagine. With the hat, plaidshirt, and everything. She rides a Ducati instead of a horse, of course. Natsuki K. Goodman. After being as kind as she possibly could and helping me in every way, I got to meet her grandparent's, she lives here with them. Mr. Robert and Mrs. Lauren Goodman. Her lovely grandmother invited me to a welcome dinner yesterday, and after telling her I was an arquitect, she offered me a steady job at a carpentry workshop they own. Can you imagine that? Me, working at a carpentry workshop? Anyway, it was the best I was gonna get in here, as there are not many other options. I accepted, of course, and after that, I had a secret and improvised date with Natsuki on a hill on the skirts of the town. She talked to me about constellations. Is that corny or what? I don't care if so, she's dreamy, Haruka. You wouldn't believe it from her at first, but she's turned out very different of what she appears to be. She's a couple of years younger than me, I just hope her grandparents don't threat of killing me for kissing her child, like last time back in Kyoto. A dreadful story I wish I could forget. But anyway, I'll try to get internet and a phone soon. No, no mobile signal, maybe for the best. Don't want my mother to call (harrass) me everyday, trying to get me back in the company, I do miss her and dad, even though. Dad more than everything, but well, it can't be helped. I hope you and Reito come visit, the place is like a real life Clint Eastwood movie, with saloons and barns. I'll write my address on the envelope so please answer! Regards for your family, and all the guys back in Kyoto.<em>

_Hugs, love and kisses,_

_Shizuru Fujino._

She read the letter again, thinking about her dear friends, and trying to stop her mind from wandering in the past, however not very succesfully. Her heart shrinked just by remembering her ex girlfriend's crazy family. Rich parents are insane when it comes to preserve the family reputation, and as Rika Fujino, her ex's family wasn't an exception to the rule. Shizuru sighed and shook her head away from memoirs, leaving to her first day at work with the Goodman's.

The doorbell rang through the Goodman's flat and inside Natsuki's ears.

"I'll get it!" She yelled, and ran downstairs. She checked herself on the mirror and breathed deeply before opening the door.

"H-hi?" To her surprise, it wasn't Shizuru standing on her front door, but instead, Midori Sugiura, a family friend and principal of Alasville School. Midori's eyes were red and sunken, she had been crying recently.

"Natsuki, is your grandma home? I need to talk to her." Midori said blankly with a dead serious face.

"Yes, 'course, please come in. Are you ok? Eh... D'ya want some tea, coffee?" Natsuki offered her a seat in the living room couch. The walls were covered with flowered tapestry, and matching furniture, with many wooden featturetes. The main colours were beige and pale pink.

"Hot tea would be great, but please first I must talk to Lauren immediatly." Midori let herself fall on the couch.

"Right away." Natsuki went running to Lauren's bedroom behind the stairs and knocked the door, which her grandma opened.

"Yes my dear? Is Shizuru here already?" Lauren asked.

"No, it's Midori. She says she needs to talk to you, it's pretty important I guess..." Said Natsuki in a low tone.

They both walked back to the living room and Natsuki left them to talk alone, and meanwhile she prepared hot water for tea. The doorbell rang again, and this time it was Shizuru.

"Good morning, Natsuki." Shizuru's smile quickly faded when looking at Natsuki's serious face.

"Is there something wrong?" She softly caressed Natsuki's cheek. Natsuki raised a finger to her lips to tell her to stay quiet, took Shizuru's hand and guided her to the kitchen.

"Sorry." Natsuki whispered. "We have a guest, Midori, a family friend. She just came, she seems very upset and asked to talk to my grandma right away. I have no idea what's up." Natsuki explained.

"I hope it's not too bad. Is it ok for me to be here? Should I come back later?" Shizuru asked.

"Don't worry. We have work anyway, I guess we'll start when they finish."

"Finish what?" Robert Goodman asked from the kitchen door, making both Natsuki and Shizuru jump.

"Midori came looking for grandma." Natsuki pointed at the living room. His grandfather left them and went to his wife.

"Robert!" They heard Lauren's cry from the living room. The door closed again, and now only muffed voices could be heard.

"That doesn't sounds good, better go check." Natsuki rushed out. Shizuru stayed in the kitchen, unsure that she should stay, but as she didn't want to interrupt and it would be rude to just leave, she served tea instead.

"Let's see, where would I put the tea if I was Lauren Goodman?" Shizuru thought to herself. She looked at her right and found a row of small rounded crystal bottles. All of them had different spices written with golden letters."Green tea, there you are." She grabbed five tea cups from the cabinets, poured green tea on all of them and placed them on a tray. She sighed and look out at the kitchen window, when something caught her eye. A stray mutt was sniffing on the garbage outside the house, ripping and pulling out all the plastic bags. It was a tall, skinny dog, with half length gray hair. His paws, chest and stomach seemed to be, what was once, white, and his nose and eyes were covered with black hair. He had some black spots of hair in the rest of his body. The dog started chewing happily what seemed to be a rotten slice of bread. A couple of pidgeons landed on the garbage bins to try steal something to eat, but the dog barked at them, making them fly. The stray dog jumped and chased behind them happily. An idea crossed Shizuru's mind but was interrupted.  
>"Oi, thanks for the tea Shizuru. Hey... uhh... Can you come with us to the living room? Midori and grandma want a word." Natsuki rubbed the back of her head.<br>"Me? Oh... Yes of course, Natsuki." She turned towards the tray, but Natsuki grabbed it. "Hey, allow me, Shizuru." The blonde girl smiled and walked to the living room.  
>"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Goodman. I hope I'm not interrupting." Shizuru entered the living room.<p>

"Good morning dear, and of course not, we called for you with Natsuki didn't we?" said Lauren in a nasal tone, cleaning her nose and eyes of crying. "Oh, Shizuru, this is Midori Sugiura, principal of Alasville School, and Midori this is Shizuru Fujino." Midori seemed more stable than before. She extended her hand and shook Shizuru's firmly.  
>"Nice to meet you, Fujino-san."<br>"Nice to meet you too, Sugiura-san."  
>"Well, Shizuru, I called you here because I have, again, an offer for you." Lauren regained her composure. "Midori, if you please."<br>"Yes. Well, an unfortunate success happened yesterday. Alasville School, which I am principal of, is also managed by a catholic religious group. Many nuns work there as teachers and counselors, but, however, one of our beloved sisters, Yukariko-sensei, had a terrible accident yesterday, which is weird because no one really knows what happened. She is now in Alasville hospital, and is to be moved today to Kyoto's General Hospital. Her state is very delicate now, and won't be able to come back to school for a long time. Now, you may be wondering why am I telling you all this, and my point is, Yukariko used to teach Math and Algebra at Alasville School, but not anymore. I am curious on how high is your dominium on this area? We don't normally allow external people to teach in our school but as you may notice, it is quite hard to get a decent teacher in our small town, specially in a Maths area. Would you be willing to teach at Alasville School? I know the question is rushed and unplanned, but the semester is about to start in less than a month, and if we are gonna do this, it better be fast. But don't worry, There are barely three middle school groups and three high school groups. Oh, maybe you would get a couple of elementary groups, but not a lot, plus the groups are quite small, no more than 20 or 25 children or teens. Please think about it, it would be great if you decided to work at the school." Midori finished her explanation.  
>"Wow, Mrs. Goodman and Sugiura-san, your offer flatters me, and I actually am skilled in the maths and algebra area, but I have never gave a single math lesson in my entire life, I just finished college a couple of months ago, are you sure I could fit in the team?" Shizuru answered worried.<br>"Of course yes! Besides, there is absolutely no one who could get a better curriculum for teaching maths in Alasville. Can I take that as a yes then, Fujino-san?" Midori insisted.  
>"I would love to but how about the Carpentry Workshop, Mrs. Goodman?" Shizuru looked back at Lauren.<br>"Shizuru, if you still want to work at the workshop, we can fit a schedule once you get your classes at Alasville School. Besides, the school work is far more important now, and we won't need a lot of help from you. Maybe you could just come two or three times a week, I think that would be more than fine." said Lauren.  
>"Well then, I suppose I can do the best I can to help in the education of Alasville youth." Shizuru accepted her new job as a professor in a speech-like manner.<br>"Excelent! For Yukariko-sensei's health and for the success of our new Alasville School Math's teacher!" Midori raised her cup of tea in a toast.

After according to meet in a couple of days with Midori for further initiation in Alasville School, Midori left the Goodman house. It was too late for work anyway so Lauren and Robert decided to go to the hospital to check on Yukariko-sensei, so Shizuru and Natsuki stayed home.  
>"So... You are gonna be a maths teacher. Can't believe it yet." Said Natsuki.<br>"Yeah, me neither. But well, Sugiura-san seemed very desperate so I really couldn't refuse. Will Natsuki still like me even if I'm a nerdy math teacher?" Shizuru pouted.  
>"Oi... I'm glad I'm not on your class. I would probably fail, you would distract me way much to understand what you'd say." Natsuki smirked at Shizuru.<br>"Ara, Natsuki has been a bad girl, no homework? I'll have to disciplinate you." Shizuru pulled Natsuki from the collar of her jacket.  
>"How exactly, Fujino-sensei?" Natsuki grabbed Shizuru's waist, and pulled her for a kiss, but a metallic sound followed by flutter and barks interrupted them.<br>"Wha' da hell?" Natsuki flinched and let go of Shizuru in a anti-grandparents reflex.  
>"Hey, it's the dog I saw before! Does it has any owners you know of?" Shizuru leaned on the window to have a better view.<br>"No, it's always sneaking in the garbage, once I even saw it jump and bite a pidgeon. I think he ate it. Smart dog." Natsuki said.  
>"I have an idea, do you have some ham or bacon?" Shizuru asked.<br>"Yeah, there's some left from breakfast." Natsuki went back to the kitchen, coming back outside with bacon-bait. The stray dog was chewing some garbage when it looked back at the girls with its ears up, very interested in the bacon Shizuru was holding. Shizuru started whistling and calling the dog.  
>"Come here boy! Come here!" Shizuru broke the bacon in a couple of pieces and threw one at the dog, whom gulped it without chewing.<br>"Natsuki, do you have any kind of rope or something?" Shizuru asked.  
>"Yeah, but... Why would you want to tie the dog?" Natsuki asked, confused.<br>"I want to adopt this dog! I always wanted a dog but my mother hates them... And this one seems to need a warm place to sleep." Shizuru answered.  
>"Are you sure? It's a street dog... What if it bites you?" Natsuki asked worried, and Shizuru laughed.<br>"I think I'll survive Natsuki! Plus, he seems to be healthy, despite being really skinny. Now, can you please be a darling and give me some rope?" Natsuki left inside for a moment and came back with the rope.  
>"I'll tie it, you just keep on callin' and whistling."<br>"Come boy, come for bacon! Yumm!"  
>The gray dog walked slowly towards them, sniffing the bacon and licking his mouth, until it finally reached where Shizuru and Natsuki were kneeling. Shizuru gave him another piece of bacon and scratched behind his ears while Natsuki tied the rope on his neck.<br>"There, that knot won't slip so he won't be hurt. Congrats for your new dog." Natsuki handed Shizuru the rope of her stray mutt, which she grabbed proudly.  
>"Aww, look at this handsome boy! I have to think of a nice name for such a good looking guy." Shizuru kneeled and patted the dog's backbone. The stray dog rolled over his back for Shizuru to rub his belly, and started moving one of his back paws fastly when his new owner rubbed his tummy. Natsuki laughed out hard.<br>"Hey! You're gonna steal her if I'm not careful, won't ya boy?" Natsuki joked.  
>"Ara, don't be so selfish Natsuki, you gotta share with Boy." Shizuru joked back.<br>"Boy? Is that how ya gonna call him?" The cowgirl asked.  
>"Yeah, I like it, I think it fits him, don't you, my good Boy?" Shizuru scratched behind Boy's ears, and Boy barked, some kind of howl more likely, as agreeing with Shizuru, making the girls laugh again.<p>

* * *

><p><em>The night before.<em>

The young woman's dream vanished when she heard a crystal breaking. She stood up and turned on the lamp on her night table. The blonde woman looked through the door's eyehole but it was too dark to see anyone.  
><em>Maybe one of the sister's need help, I should go see.<em>  
>Yukariko opened the door and walked through the darkness of the corridor to the place where the sound came from.<br>"Hello? Anyone there, is everything okay?" The nun said out loud and kept on walking, looking for anyone in need.  
>"Anyone needs any help? Hello?" She repeated, and looked through the corridor, she was now next to the spiral staircase.<br>"_You._" A low voice answered, pushing her strongly downstairs. Yukariko Sanada didn't even have time to scream, she inevitably fell 'til the end of the staircase, and stayed unconscious until the morning. When a sister finally found her, she had a broken arm, severe head contusions and a broken rib that almost plunged one of her lungs. She was taken to emergencies immediatly, and barely survived.

The sheriff's deputy arrived when they noticed there was a broken window. He parked in front of Alasville Convent and examined his surroundings, but there was nothing suspicious, except the window.  
>"Hello, my name is Masashi Takeda, and I am the sheriff's deputy. I've been informed Yukariko Sanada apparently fell from the stairs accidentally, but there is a broken window? Is there a reason anyone would like to harm Sanada-san in any way? Was the window prompt to break for any other reason than someone breaking it?" The deputy asked the sister who found her.<br>"I don't believe so sir, Yukariko sensei was very caring and loving, why would any one want to hurt her this bad? About the window, yes I do believe it is strange for it to be broken, but there is no sign of struggle. Please, I will show you if you follow me, Takeda-san." the old woman walked the officer to the place. He kneeled and inspected the pieces of broken glass, but there wasn't much. He was about to stand up but then he saw it, the smallest piece of dark blue cloth in attached in a piece of glass. He took a picture of it before grabbing the glass and the cloth, with gloves on, and saving it in a re-sealable zipper plastic bag with a big yellow tag that read EVIDENCE. He stood up and showed the elder nun the evidence he gathered.  
>"Sister, did anyone touched the pieces of glass before I got here? Do you recognize this cloth?" the woman half-closed her eyes trying to see the piece of cloth better.<br>"No sir, the robe we use is completely black with white, and this is blue, so I don't believe any of us could would be the owner of this cloth." the sister said.  
>"Very well then, I will get a team to search for prints, I hope that's okay with you. It's for the best sister, I think this could be just an accident, but let's take it as a preventive measure, just in case it wasn't."<br>"Yes, of course sir, thank you for your help." the nun and the deputy walked back to the entrance and he sat inside the patrol. He grabbed the walkie-talkie.  
>"Here deputy Takeda, from Alasville Convent, do you copy me?" he unpressed the button.<br>"Hey, Yuuichi here, roger that, what's up?"  
>"What's up?! Can't you talk like a real deputy? Whatever… I believe the nun falling to the stairs wasn't an accident, can you send an investigation team here?" Takeda wasn't gonna let anyone disturb the peace and order he worked so hard everyday to keep, and it annoyed him deeply that Tate Yuuichi didn't take his job seriously.<br>"Oi, take it easy, we're in Alasville Sheriff's Department, not in fucking Chicago chasing Al Capone! I'll send it now."  
>"Roger, over and out." Takeda answered annoyed and hanged the radio. He walked out of the car and waited for the team to arrive.<p> 


End file.
